Scene from the video shown below Image: FedEx
The airline FedEx released an interesting video on Wednesday, November 8, showing how it “converted” one of its large cargo jets and added a sticker to make it the “FedEx Panda Express.”
According to the images below, the Boeing 777F aircraft with registration number N886FD was chosen to capture the images and carry out a very special flight mission:
Specially packaged for some pretty cool guests. ✈️🐼💜 pic.twitter.com/XFMiclweQY
FedEx (@FedEx) November 8, 2023
Giant pandas Tian Tian (teeYEN teeYEN), Mei Xiang (maySHONG) and Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAUchiji) began their journey from the United States to China on Wednesday morning.
They departed the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) at 9:31 a.m. for Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia, where they boarded a special, customized Boeing 777F FedEx Panda Express plane. The approximately 19hour transpacific flight from Washington, DC to Chengdu, China, included a brief refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska.
Before the trip, the panda team completed preparations for departure. After breakfast, each panda entered their personalized travel box that they had become accustomed to over the past few weeks. One by one, Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji’s boxes were loaded onto a forklift that carefully drove out of the David M. Rubenstein family’s giant panda habitat. They were then loaded onto FedEx trucks and left the zoo.
The special travel crates are made of steel and plexiglass and weigh approximately 363 kg each. Assistant Curator of Giant Pandas Laurie Thompson, Animal Keeper Mariel Lally and Senior Veterinarian James Steeil were with them on the trip. NZCBI staff continuously monitored Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji throughout the trip.
Zoo staff traveled with approximately 220 pounds of bamboo, 8 pounds of puff pastry crackers, 5 pounds of lowstarch cookies, 6 pounds of apples, 5 pounds of carrots, 6 pounds of sweet potatoes, 3 pounds of sugar cane. sugar, 1 kilo of pears and 1 kilo of cooked pumpkin.
Upon arrival in Chengdu, they were picked up at the airport by new panda keepers from the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center and taken to the ShenShuPing Campus in Wolong, where they will remain in quarantine for about 30 days.
NZCBI staff will monitor the pandas and stay with them for a few days while they adjust to their new home. Xiao Qi Ji will enter the giant panda breeding program when she reaches sexual maturity between 6 and 7 years of age.
The panda team prepared Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji for the move to ensure that they felt comfortable and safe during the trip. To slowly get them used to the travel boxes, the zookeepers asked the pandas to walk past them every day. Once they became familiar with it, they became accustomed to spending short periods of time with the doors closed.
Mei Xiang, 25, and Tian Tian, 26, arrived in Washington, D.C. in 2000, making them the second pair of giant pandas to live at the zoo. Her first three surviving offspring, Tai Shan (born 2005), Bao Bao (born 2013), and Bei Bei (born 2015), thrive in China. Tai Shan and Bao Bao even gave birth to their own puppies.
With the birth of Xiao Qi Ji (“Little Miracle” in English) in 2020, when Mei Xiang was 22 years old, Mei Xiang became the oldest giant panda to give birth in the United States and the second oldest on record Panda of the world. The birth of Xiao Qi Ji was the first outside China to use artificial insemination using only frozen and thawed sperm, and demonstrates the value and fundamental role of systematic biobanks in species conservation. All six Bears have created a living fan legacy that spans generations and countries.
From births and first steps to chewing bamboo and playing in the snow, the NZCBI’s Giant Panda Cam has connected fans around the world to incredible moments with Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cubs. Since its launch, Giant Panda Cam has received over 100 million page views.
In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, more than 639,000 people tuned in to watch Mei Xiang give birth to Xiao Qi Ji. The Giant Panda Cam is now offline as the giant pandas have left for China. Virtual visitors can continue to enjoy other NZCBI webcams featuring Asian elephants, naked mole rats and African lions, as well as temporary webcams such as the Cheetah Cub Cam.
“As Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji depart for their new home of China, they leave behind a tremendous legacy in Washington, DC,” said Brandie Smith, Director of the NZCBI. “It is exciting and rewarding that people from all over the world have followed these pandas, shared our joy and supported our success.” I am extremely proud of our animal care experts and researchers, their observations and research into biology, behavior, reproduction , on the health and natural habitat of giant pandas helped remove them from the endangered species list. As we conclude this chapter of our giant panda program, we remain committed to protecting this species and look forward to continued collaboration with our Chinese colleagues.”
The NZCBI concluded its giant panda research and breeding cooperation agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association in December 2000, when Mei Xiang and Tian Tian arrived at the zoo. While this week’s departure marks a historic moment for the NZCBI’s animal welfare and conservation success, the NZCBI remains committed to continuing its efforts to ensure and protect a healthy future for giant pandas and their habitat.
For more than 51 years, the NZCBI has led one of the world’s most important panda conservation programs. Working with Chinese colleagues, the Smithsonian team has made significant contributions to global knowledge of giant panda biology, behavior, reproduction, health and habitat.
Joint programs to train the next generation of qualified animal care and research professionals ensure that giant pandas continue to thrive in human care and in the wild for generations to come. The collective effort to create and share knowledge saves this species from extinction.
Giant pandas are no longer on the endangered species list and are now classified as “endangered” in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are about 1,800 specimens in the wild.